A recent KHOU investigation found that some 2.6 million pounds of recyclables in Houston were put in garbage trucks and taken to a landfill instead of a recycling plant.  Here is an action alert where you can write to Houston City Council:

https://p2a.co/xcZzn3p  

Thanks to Texas Campaign for the Environment for circulating this alert.

"Clothes the Loop", clothing & shoe recycling

The North Face (outdoor clothing brand) has a program called "Clothes the  Loop". Not all of their retail stores participate in this program, but their store  at the Galleria does. Clothes & shoes can be in any condition or brand for drop off. 
This might be the best recycling option for synthetic & tech type materials, e.g. rain gear, and one can support this producer take back effort. I have dropped off items myself to confirm this is a functioning program. The collection bin is right in the middle of the store and the staff was very friendly.  

Here's the link about the program (includes embedded educational video):
https://www.thenorthface.com/about-us/responsibility/product/clothes-the-loop.html        

Efforts in the Texas Legislature to address Plastic Pollution were unsuccessful:

 

The effort in the recent session of the Legislature to amend language to allow  plastic bag bans was unsuccessful. Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin had introduced HB 856 to allow cities to ban plastic bags and polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) containers.

About Hinojosa's bill:

Assessment of good/bad environmental bills by Environment Texas (very brief summaries):

 

Maryland and Maine have recently passed legislation to ban foam food packaging:  
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/maryland-styrofoam-food-packaging-ban/   

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/05/maine-passes-first-us-state-ban-plastic-foam-packaging/

California is also working on legislation to address plastic pollution:

 

 

A good article linked below from the Revelator & the Center for Biological Diversity about efforts to curb cigarette butt pollution.

 

The nonprofit Ocean Conservancy reported that cigarette butts, which contain plastic and toxic chemicals, were the most-littered item at their global beach cleanups.

The biggest problem is the filters, most of which are made of cellulose acetate, a kind of plastic. That means the filters don’t readily biodegrade.

 

Link to full article: 

For feedback or questions on recycling, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com